John Mukum Mbaku Esq. – författare

The end of the Cold War, the cessation of superpower rivalry, and the demise of apartheid in South Africa have offered Africans another opportunity to engage in effective institutional reform and state reconstruction. This book emphasizes the importance of institutions to economic growth and development and, using public choice theory, provides guidelines that can be used to initiate and implement an effective people-driven institutional reform program on the continent.

Africa is currently experiencing sociopolitical and economic changes of unprecedented proportions. New leaders, institutions, discourses, and methods of political organization and action are shaping a new future.Through a case-study approach, this essay collection provides a comprehensive analysis of the history, trajectory, actors, institutions, contradictions, failures, and opportunities in contemporary efforts at democratization in Africa. While presenting the dynamics of democracy and democratization in several African countries, they also look at critical issues in Africa's transition projects from political parties and elections through constitutions and constitutionalism to new structures of power and politics. A provocative analysis for scholars, students, researchers, and policy makers involved with African political and economic development.

Mbaku, Saxena, and their contributors examine the problems faced by Africa as it decides what to do to improve its ability to contribute to and benefit from the new globalization. Today, the continent stands at a crossroads; it must choose between joining the new global society and pursuing a process of internal self-reliance. The dilemma the continent faces is how to participate in and benefit from the new global economy as well as retain and also benefit from its emerging regional economic and political schemes.The book is written by a group of highly skilled and committed Africanists and is intended to make a significant contribution to the debate on poverty alleviation in Africa as well as on improving Africa's ability to participate in and benefit from the new globalization and how to achieve the type of peaceful coexistence in Africa that will enhance economic growth and development. It contains a refreshing, vigorous, and informative analysis of poverty alleviation strategies in the continent, how to achieve lasting peace and enhance the peaceful co-existence of population groups, and how to improve the continent's ability to participate more effectively in the new globalization. It emphasizes the importance of good policies and laws and institutions not only to peaceful coexistence, but also to sustainable poverty alleviation strategies. As Africans prepare themselves and their societies for the new globalization, it is critical that they provide themselves with governance structures that are locally-focused, and that enhance peace and sustainable development.

Cameroon, in Central Africa, has been called Africa in miniature. It is characterized by exceptional social and ethnic diversity, with more than 250 ethnicities now forming five major regional-culture groupings. This volume is the first to encapsulate Cameroon's rich indigenous and modern customs and traditions in depth. The narrative emphasizes those aspects that define its modern nation, its peoples, the unique societies, their institutions, and various lifestyles. The origins of Cameroon's diverse culture are traced back to the various ethnic groups and languages as well as the influence of European colonialism, Christianity, Islam, and other external factors, including globalization. In each topical chapter, examples from ethnic groups are presented to give some sense of the variety of experiences.Cameroon has had a turbulent and eventful modern history with German, English, and French incursions, and students and general readers will be able to understand the current struggle for democracy post independence. The history colors the substantial coverage of the many topics examined, from education, to marriage and women's roles, sports, and holidays, daily life, the arts, and much more. This volume will stand as the definitive, accessible introduction to Cameroon and will be essential for building a well-rounded Africa collection.

Africa is currently experiencing sociopolitical and economic changes of unprecedented proportions. New leaders, institutions, discourses, and methods of political organization and action are shaping a new future.Through a case-study approach, this essay collection provides a comprehensive analysis of the history, trajectory, actors, institutions, contradictions, failures, and opportunities in contemporary efforts at democratization in Africa. While presenting the dynamics of democracy and democratization in several African countries, they also look at critical issues in Africa's transition projects from political parties and elections through constitutions and constitutionalism to new structures of power and politics. A provocative analysis for scholars, students, researchers, and policy makers involved with African political and economic development.

Since the late 1980s, Africans have been engaged in efforts to transform their societies and provide themselves with more effective governance and economic structures. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have not progressed beyond simple elections. The contributors to this volume provide strategies that Africans can use to deepen democracy, improve resource allocation, and enhance their ability to coexist peacefully.Mbaku, Ihonvbere, and their contributors, while adopting a critical approach to the study of African political economy, take a stand against Afro-pessimism. They articulate an holistic agenda for addressing Africa's mulitfarious problems, reject received knowledge, and, through a dialectical methodology, draw attention to the centrality of social categories/classes, the state, civil society, the environment, communities, and patterns of change in the continent.Relying on fieldwork, hard data, and critical reviews of the extant literature, the volume highlights the importance of democracy and democratization to the urgent restructuring that Africa needs in the new globalization. Paying attention to the continent's historical experiences and its specificities, the contributors draw attention to the importance of grassroots action, leadership, and the need to constitutionally entrench civil liberties.